Stanley, show presenters aim for wider audiences this season

Sunday

Oct 30, 2011 at 12:01 AMOct 30, 2011 at 2:53 PM

Finding ways to draw audience members and funding to the arts is a never-ending battle for many local organizations.For the Stanley Center for the Arts, in particular, it’s been an uphill climb...but with new leaders and a new focus on shows for younger audiences, the theater may be approaching the summit.

CASSAUNDRA BABER

Finding ways to draw audience members and funding to the arts is a never-ending battle for many local organizations.

For the Stanley Center for the Arts, in particular, it’s been an uphill climb even after a $20 million-plus renovation was completed in 2008 -- just as the recession hit. And changes in management since -- including the departure of Central New York Arts Council Executive Director Ron Thiele and Theater Manager John Faust earlier this year — added another twist to the theater’s attempts to reinvent itself.

But with new leaders and a new focus on shows for younger audiences, the theater may be approaching the summit.

“I want the Stanley to level up,” said Executive Director Joel McKissick, who replaced Faust in April. “I want the Stanley to take a significant step up in activity and expand the types of shows it does.”

In some ways it already has.

New shows, new audiences

In November – within eight days of each other – the theater will host The Goo Goo Dolls, Jerry Seinfeld and Tony Bennett.

In September, the Broadway Theatre League presented “The New Mel Brooks Young Frankenstein Musical” – a show that couldn’t have been done in the theater before it was renovated. What’s more, the crew spent 10 days in Utica building its set and tech show before taking the tour on the road.

“American Idiot,” coming in December, will do the same. And “Peter Pan,” showing Nov. 15 through 17, will set a new precedent by performing on three consecutive nights instead of two, which has been the norm in recent years.

“The marketplace is pretty well aware now (that) we can do whatever we want, so it’s not hard to get people to come here,” league Executive Director John Fehlner said. “If you’re willing to buy a show, they’re willing to come.”

Fehlner, who replaced former executive director Bob Lewis two years ago, said the BTL has been deliberate in buying shows that will appeal to a younger audience, and a broader audience.

The shows selected for the 2011-12 season, for example, run the gamut from “South Pacific,” which debuted on Broadway in 1949, to “Green Day’s American Idiot,” which just debuted last year. In the 2010-11 season, all of the shows debuted within 15 years of each other, and the most recent was already three years old when it came to Utica.

“We actually were trying to get that mix,” Fehlner said when asked about the change. “We’re trying to appeal to a wider audience with hopes that we could attract a larger populous.”

The group also is trying to avoid repeating shows within 10 years of each other – at least for its five main performances each season, he added.

So far this season, both "Young Frankenstein" and "In the Heights" have sold more than 3,000 tickets. But Fehlner said that’s about average, and that it will take time to see if the new strategy is a success.

“It’s hard to say yet whether it’s working,” he said. “Because we’re doing so many extra things this year it’s almost a wait-and-see thing.”

McKissick also is looking to broaden the Stanley’s appeal, possibly by bringing in more country, rock and alternative music performances.

“We want to make sure we’re not forgetting about our younger clientele,” he said.

Another option McKissick is considering is using smaller parts of the theater, such as the lobby, as a setting for intimate performances by acoustic performers, jazz trios or local bands. That could defray the cost of opening the actual theater – heating and lighting it is costly – and provide another level of programming, he said.

But for now, McKissick is committed to networking with producers – who arrange tours for shows, market them and assume the risk if ticket sales fall below expectations (or the rewards if they don’t).

“Part of building a foundation for the Stanley to succeed is to reconnect with these promoters,” he said. “Right now, I’m focusing on introducing the Stanley to promoters who haven’t been here before, (and) re-introducing to promoters who have been here but don’t know what the new stage has to offer.”

Contracting with independent presenters protects the Stanley from the high risk involved in self-presented shows, he said.

“We might do something like co-presenting again in the near future, but the Stanley won’t be self-presenting,” McKissick said. “If the show doesn’t do well, we lose a lot of money. Right now, we need to get our footing so we can solidify ourselves financially and make ourselves a sustainable business. If you lose big money on a show it can make you not a sustainable business.”

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.